The things you see in ER waiting rooms

[trales]

A mother was giving her 8 month old Doritos from a bag. The kid was choking and coughing on them and she was smacking her on the back and giving her more. She washed it down with pepsi.

This was after she and her male companion made out, yelled at each other, gave each other the finger, swore at each other, paced the room walking away from each other, made out some more and then cried. I still don't know why they were there.

I walked in with a bloody dish towel holding my finger together, waited an hour for triage where the nurse peeled off the towel, blood is dripping on the floor, looks at me says "that will need some stiching" and then sends me to wait. Ummm, can I have some clean gauze or something please. Another 1.5 hours later, I get glued back together.

Where can I buy dermabond so I never have to go to the ER again. My doc only stiches during the day.

[JBaxter]

My brother is an ER nurse at a very busy ER. He has a t-shirt ( he sometimes wears under his scrubs) that says Stupid People Shouldnt Breed.

Oh the stories he tells...

[elephantmeg]

ROTFL. I've seen it all working in the hospital. I remember when DS was 6 months and I was just starting him on baby food the younger sibling of my patient was the same age and eating stroganoff. Wow. Dermabond is like $100 a tube and I don't think it's available OTC. I know some peope who use regular superglue with good results though but I've never tried it...

A socialworker and I were discussing parents the other day and decided that parents should have to pass a test to take home an infant. You have to take one to drive a car... but not care for a child?

[KBecks]

Do you have urgent care facilities anywhere near you? It's better and cheaper than the ER.

[deborah_r]

Poor baby. At first I thought you said "8 year old" and I thought, "well, I've made some bad food choices for my 4 year old in situations like that..." But giving an 8 month old Dorito's and Pepsi? That is so depressing. Does a kid like that even have a chance to live a healthy life?

[JTsMom]

What are people thinking when they give their sweet babies that kind of garbage?

[ThreeofUs]

Gotta love the ER. I've always thought you see the worst, the best, and the funniest sides of humanity there. People are under so much stress that everything about the human condition becomes exaggerated.

I can't imagine giving a baby that kind of food! blech!

And in re glueing - some folks use superglue as a pp said, but for those of us who can't stand the cyanide content, medical tape works just fine for most minor problems. My mom's plastic surgeon taught me about tape about 20 years ago; he never stitched where he could tape. (Obvious exceptions are where blood flow (veins, arteries) or muscles (tendons, etc.) were concerned.) He even taped the top 0.5" of my finger back on!

[dcmom2b3]

That baby crawls so well because s/he knows that one day soon s/he's gonna have to make a fast break to get away from the CRAZY-a$$ adults in her life. Poor bunny, runaway-in-training . . .

ETA: Sorry for the non-sequitur, ya'll. I meant to respond to Tracey's related post in the lounge. As usual, I don't know where I am at any given moment. . .

[ellies mom]

Gotta love the ER. I've always thought you see the worst, the best, and the funniest sides of humanity there. People are under so much stress that everything about the human condition becomes exaggerated.

I can't imagine giving a baby that kind of food! blech!

And in re glueing - some folks use superglue as a pp said, but for those of us who can't stand the cyanide content, medical tape works just fine for most minor problems. My mom's plastic surgeon taught me about tape about 20 years ago; he never stitched where he could tape. (Obvious exceptions are where blood flow (veins, arteries) or muscles (tendons, etc.) were concerned.) He even taped the top 0.5" of my finger back on!

Yeah, I've had good luck with both super glue and taping the crap out it. Duct tape is amazing stuff in a pinch.

[almostsane]

Poor baby. At first I thought you said "8 year old" and I thought, "well, I've made some bad food choices for my 4 year old in situations like that..." But giving an 8 month old Dorito's and Pepsi? That is so depressing. Does a kid like that even have a chance to live a healthy life?


It's the kids like that, that never get sick, are healthier than a horse, and a germ won't live on them. I have a cousin who has 4 kids and all of her kids started drinking coke/pepsi/mt. dew, from a bottle, by the time they were 6 months old. Now, keep in mind, she bf until they were at least 1.5 yrs old. He 3rd child had to have all of his teeth capped or pulled at age 4 because he ate so many sweets (and she didn't brush his teeth every day) that his teeth were literally rotting out of his head. But, her children never get sick, never have to go to the doctor (other than the one time to the dentist) and never had tubes in ears or anything. I think that the good Lord just looks out for kids raised like that. The poor children can't help what kind of parents they get.

[StantonHyde]

They do make liquid bandaids that they sell in the store and I know people who use glue. DD sliced her finger open a couple of weeks ago and DH glued it together. You just have to make sure that you irrigate the wound really well with saline and then rub betadine all over it so you minimize the germs on the inside. And watch it--if it gets red, inflamed or you have a fever, you need to get it checked. The other thing is that if you can't move that digit--then you may have sliced tendons.

On the ER Observations---Sadly, it sounds like you actually had a decent visit...DH is an ER MD and he says there are some "Laws of ER Medicine":
1. Humans make bad projectiles
2. Given the choice, people will always do the stupid thing. (It may not be the right or wrong thing, but it will be the stupid thing.)
3. Everybody lies about their drug use and sex activity
4. Nobody just sits on the couch naked and lands on an object that just happened to be there.

Needless to say, he has one of the most cynical attitudes about the general state of the human race. Thank God he married me because I always assume that people are basically good. Of course listening to him recap his shift is an experience. My dad was an oncologist so I grew up discussing who was dying at the dinner table. My kids discuss blood, bones, and car crashes. I won't let DH talk about disimpacting constipated people or some of the other wonderful/disgusting things he does!!!

[hellokitty]

They do make liquid bandaids that they sell in the store and I know people who use glue. DD sliced her finger open a couple of weeks ago and DH glued it together. You just have to make sure that you irrigate the wound really well with saline and then rub betadine all over it so you minimize the germs on the inside. And watch it--if it gets red, inflamed or you have a fever, you need to get it checked. The other thing is that if you can't move that digit--then you may have sliced tendons.

On the ER Observations---Sadly, it sounds like you actually had a decent visit...DH is an ER MD and he says there are some "Laws of ER Medicine":
1. Humans make bad projectiles
2. Given the choice, people will always do the stupid thing. (It may not be the right or wrong thing, but it will be the stupid thing.)
3. Everybody lies about their drug use and sex activity
4. Nobody just sits on the couch naked and lands on an object that just happened to be there.

Needless to say, he has one of the most cynical attitudes about the general state of the human race. Thank God he married me because I always assume that people are basically good. Of course listening to him recap his shift is an experience. My dad was an oncologist so I grew up discussing who was dying at the dinner table. My kids discuss blood, bones, and car crashes. I won't let DH talk about disimpacting constipated people or some of the other wonderful/disgusting things he does!!!

Lol, I love those, "laws" that you shared. I'm an RN, and every time I think I have seen it all, I will come across a patient who will prove me wrong, lol. The ER staff are all tough as nails, b/c I think they've grown a protective layer to deal with all the crazies that walk through the door. My dad's a ped and he always have plenty of stories, although I am sure they are not as interesting as your dh's. My DH works in CVOR right now, and with my background in nursing and with many friends who are also in the medical field, our dinner conversation of, blood, poop, things oozing out or sticking out that shouldn't be, vomit, stories of dealing with loonies, etc. are pretty typical. Our non-medical friends turn a few shades of green sometimes, but you can't deny that we have lively dinner discussions. :)

[kijip]

It's the kids like that, that never get sick, are healthier than a horse, and a germ won't live on them. I have a cousin who has 4 kids and all of her kids started drinking coke/pepsi/mt. dew, from a bottle, by the time they were 6 months old. Now, keep in mind, she bf until they were at least 1.5 yrs old. He 3rd child had to have all of his teeth capped or pulled at age 4 because he ate so many sweets (and she didn't brush his teeth every day) that his teeth were literally rotting out of his head. But, her children never get sick, never have to go to the doctor (other than the one time to the dentist) and never had tubes in ears or anything. I think that the good Lord just looks out for kids raised like that. The poor children can't help what kind of parents they get.

That's a nice thought but working in social services I see far too many neglected and maltreated children who unfortunately have miserable illnesses. To say nothing of my older brother's kids who are treated appallingly and are always sick. They often need to go to the doctor but just don't get taken there.

[ha98ed14]

That's a nice thought but working in social services I see far too many neglected and maltreated children who unfortunately have miserable illnesses. To say nothing of my older brother's kids who are treated appallingly and are always sick. They often need to go to the doctor but just don't get taken there.

How do you deal with watching your nieces/ nephews suffer like that? We have extended family members that rarely takes their kids to the doctor's office either, but their dad is a family practice doc, so he fields most of the minor stuff, and so far it has all been minor. But sometimes I wonder if it is "safe" to practice medicine on your own kids. We have other parenting "differences" -- things they do that DH and I don't agree with, and it is sometimes hard to bite your tongue, but the kids are in no way mal-treated.

Sometimes it is hard to know what is neglect and what is a difference in parenting style. If parents never formally teach their 9 y.o child to read because they have the philosophy he will pick it up on his own (un-schooling, I think they call it; a type of homeschooling philosophy) is that neglect? Certainly not mal-treating him, but personally, a situation like that is neglect.

[smartlass]

I unfortunately had to take my DS to the ER a few weeks ago.
There was a toddler running around just in a t-shirt and diaper..in Frebruary!
Not to mention he CLEARLY had a nasty case of pink eye (shudder) and was rubbing his eyes and fondling all the toys in the ped's waiting area (I discreetly told a nurse)
Blurg

[deborah_r]

I think that the good Lord just looks out for kids raised like that. The poor children can't help what kind of parents they get.

Well, I hope that is true. But as far as them not getting sick, I was more thinking about long-term health (obesity, heart problems, and/or diabetes from poor diet) and also emotional health (since the parents do not appear too stable).